RootsChat.Com

Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: Ezekial on Saturday 05 March 11 01:44 GMT (UK)

Title: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: Ezekial on Saturday 05 March 11 01:44 GMT (UK)
Hi

 This may seem like a daft question as the child in this photo does appear to look awfully like a little girl!!!..but!!! is there any chance at all that this child could in fact be a boy??....the photo was taken about 1925.

china
Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: Deb D on Saturday 05 March 11 02:55 GMT (UK)
I think it could be a boy, ... if the family was one which clung to the tradition of dressing a boy in frocks etc., until his first haircut at about two years of age (although the bow in the hair looks a bit "over the top", to me).

I may be wrong with that - other posters, please feel free to contradict, if your info or memory is better than mine!  ;)
Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: 092086 on Saturday 05 March 11 03:10 GMT (UK)
If that is a boy he was likely subject to copious beatings and ridicule in school.

The dress, bow and hair is a bit much, unless they were going for a David Bowie look  :D
Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: Seoras on Saturday 05 March 11 03:45 GMT (UK)
Unless it's Eddie Izzard I have to say this is a girl.I can imagine them putting a frock on a baby boy but the bow would be a step too far.This is me with a frock type arrangement and that was bad enough but the bow would have instigated serious rebellion ;D

George.
Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: maidmarianoops on Saturday 05 March 11 04:33 GMT (UK)
i think it is a girl
bbbuuuuttttt
Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: maidmarianoops on Saturday 05 March 11 04:44 GMT (UK)
oops
Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: Emmeline on Saturday 05 March 11 06:56 GMT (UK)
I think in this case it is a little girl  :)

I was interested to read recently the following from a 1918 womans magazine informing mothers : -

There has been a great diversity of opinion on the subject, but the generally accepted rule is pink for the boy and blue for the girl.
The reason is that pink being a more decided and stronger colour is more suitable for the boy, while blue which is more delicate and dainty is prettier for the girl.


 :) :) :)


Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: chinakay on Saturday 05 March 11 07:05 GMT (UK)
I'll have to keep that one, Emmeline :D

This photo is my dad, born 1922. With his brother. Yes, it's hard to tell them apart in some old photos but to answer the question...it could be a boy.

Cheers,
China
Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: Ezekial on Saturday 05 March 11 08:58 GMT (UK)
Thankyou to everyone for your opinions....i'm still not convinced either way, i was starting to fall on the side of the photo being a girl, until i saw the photo from chinakay.!!!!

china
Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: Viktoria on Saturday 05 March 11 22:48 GMT (UK)
This is for Seoras--- YOU ARE NOT WEARING A FROCK,THEY ARE ROMPERS,AS WORN BY BOYS.

Unless of course you want them to be a frock!!!!!     Viktoria.
Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: danuslave on Sunday 06 March 11 10:38 GMT (UK)
Usually made as a Romper Suit with 'knickers' to match the top

All the best dressed boys wore them at one time   ::)

Linda
Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: Viktoria on Sunday 06 March 11 14:04 GMT (UK)
The garment seoras was wearing was very like a frock but whereas on a girl it would be open at the bottom hem, for a boy it would be elasticated  all round and buttoned between the legs so pouching over.The fabrics were a little different for boys too and he yokes were embroidered with ducks and trains etc but girls dresses were embroidered with flowers ,fairies etc.You could tell the difference!
They usually were smocked at the chest to take in the fullness, and set into a yoke. They were the devil to iron , especially those made of rayon or cotton before the days of drip dry and non iron fabrics .
Seoras is convinced he was put into a frock for that photo.Bless him.    Viktoria.
Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: Treetotal on Sunday 06 March 11 15:27 GMT (UK)
I think it's a girl.
Carol
Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: Miss.ellie on Sunday 06 March 11 15:48 GMT (UK)
I think it's a girl. I know traditions meant that families often dressed their sons in 'frocks', however the child in this picture looks to me like a girl.. you never know though ???
Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: RobinEssex on Sunday 06 March 11 16:14 GMT (UK)
Although dating from around 1908, i have photos of my great uncle Bill, as a young child, dressed in girls clothing.

Initially i thought that odd but then realised just how poor the family were at the time and that Bill was simply wearing his older sisters 'hand me downs'.
Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: weste on Sunday 06 March 11 17:13 GMT (UK)
Girl
Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: Emmeline on Monday 07 March 11 00:59 GMT (UK)
Hi again charlie

Are you ever going to be able to prove this one way or t'other  ??? ::)
Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: LizzieW on Monday 07 March 11 15:41 GMT (UK)
Looks like a girl to me.  Unless like Robin's gt.uncle the family was so poor that the boy had to wear his sister's hand me downs.

I've a photo of my dad and his twin sister aged about 1, they were born in 1912.  (He's had his hair cut so I don't know what age that would have been done).  They are both wearing beautiful broderie anglais smock type dresses, over a short sleeved top.  My dad's top is a dark colour and his sister's pale.  But to tell the truth it is obvious my dad is male, he just looks like a boy dressed in a girls clothes.
Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: sallyyorks on Thursday 10 March 11 13:16 GMT (UK)
yes , could be boy in my opinion , we have similar photos of boys dressed as girls
Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: LizzieW on Thursday 10 March 11 16:15 GMT (UK)
sallyyorks - similar clothes to the ones worn by my father and his twin sister in the photo I have, except they are seated.  I think your grandad and my father and his twin were much younger than the child in chinacharlie's photo who is dressed in outdoor clothes.

Here's my dad and his twin sister.

Lizzie
Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: Seoras on Thursday 10 March 11 16:21 GMT (UK)
Viktoria,they could have at least fastened it so it looked like a romper suit.You have no idea how many people have asked why I am wearing a frock ;D

Sally & Lizzie,and I thought I had problems ;)

George.
Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: Viktoria on Thursday 10 March 11 16:57 GMT (UK)
Seoras -- it was fastened, honestly, that`s the way it pouched over.

The white bit peeping out  underneath is your right foot.

I`m sorry if this disappoints you!!!! Aww-

I have two sons and both wore them as they were standard  wear for little boys up to about one year old. Dreadful to iron.

Go and lie down in a dark room. You were dressed normally for the time.
seriously-- kind regards.     Viktoria.
 
Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: Seoras on Thursday 10 March 11 16:59 GMT (UK)
OK,will do,as soon as I've ironed my romper suit ;D
Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: chinakay on Thursday 10 March 11 17:24 GMT (UK)
Have a whiskey, as well ;D
Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: Deb D on Friday 11 March 11 05:46 GMT (UK)
Seoras, after you've seen this one I'm sure you won't feel nearly so bad.  This was my grandfather!
Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: Deb D on Friday 11 March 11 05:47 GMT (UK)
ps ... I have no idea what he has on his head  ???
Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: Wiggy on Friday 11 March 11 05:54 GMT (UK)
Tea cosy I think Deb!!  avec bow!   ;D   ::)   Or an outsized Tam. !! ::)

I reckon the initial photo is of a girl - looks like a girl - China's boy looks like a boy!!  I've got some beauties of dad dressed in a skirt - but it was a boy's skirt - you can tell!!

 George looks like a boy in a romper suit!   :P   We had romper suits like that for the beach - they were great!!  Yes, the boys too!!
Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: Rachels on Friday 11 March 11 12:03 GMT (UK)
Seoras, after you've seen this one I'm sure you won't feel nearly so bad.  This was my grandfather!


Scottish men often wear skirts anyway !  :o ::) ;D


Rachel
Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: Viktoria on Friday 11 March 11 22:46 GMT (UK)
I think that little boy was turned upsidedown and used to polish the floor!

I`m sorry to labour the point but a romper suit was two pieces, a top blouse/shirt and a pair of pants ,gathered and elasticated ,buttoned on to the blouse at waist height.

Rompers were just what seoras was photographed wearing ( oh yes he was!) One piece,gathered and buttoned between the legs. It mean you did not have to undress the baby when you changed its nappies. You just undid the buttons between the legs.
                                                                                           Cheerio, Viktoria.
Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: Emmeline on Wednesday 16 March 11 07:43 GMT (UK)
Hello Viktoria and all

Re romper-suit - I was looking at a book today with a picture of said romper suit exactly as you described.

However, the Americans must have had a different name for them as it was described as ' A 1940's cotton baby onesie '   ::)

Have never heard that term before but it's there in black and white . ::)
Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: maidmarianoops on Wednesday 16 March 11 08:06 GMT (UK)
boy


sylvia
Title: Re: Could this child be a little boy???
Post by: SUSANHORTON on Friday 18 March 11 04:09 GMT (UK)
I think the child looks like a little girl. In fact it reminds me of an old photo of me when I was a small girl.
Sue